PCS season is winding down. Even before the boxes are unpacked, many military spouses are perusing the want ads in their new hometown.

One of the best ways to network and prepare yourself for interviews is to attend a job fair.

But don’t just show up in jeans and a t-shirt to check it out. Consider this your practice run at acing an interview and delivering your pitch to potential employers.

Never been to one? Don’t worry. Check out our Job Fair To Do List:

1. Find one! This is really as simple as typing the phrase “job fair” into Google. If you search the term military spouse/veteran job fair, you get even better hits. The Hiring Our Heroes program hosts job fairs every month around the nation specifically for military families. To check out their entire list, visit https://hoh.greatjob.net/sc/index.action  or visit the list provided by EmploymentGuide.com at http://www.employmentguide.com/job-fairs/browse
2. Register. If you stumble upon an ad for a job fair happening today, the odds are good that you won’t get in. Like most things in life, you have to plan ahead to attend a job fair. The Hiring Our Heroes fairs fill up quick. Research them now, register and stick to your plan to attend.
3. Dress for the Job. Fair warning: you will not walk out of a job fair with a job. This is an opportunity for job seekers to learn more about companies and recruiters to answer their questions and make contact with potential employees. You probably won’t even walk out with an interview. But, it is an opportunity to make an impression. Dress, act and speak like a professional. It may help you stand out to those same recruiters later.
4. Bring your resume. And bring lots of copies. And don’t be shy passing them out. Make sure your resume is ready to go, is correct, complete and free of spelling errors. Veterans should also bring copies of their DD214.
5. Practice your sales pitch, before you arrive. Come up with a 1-minute sales pitch that sells, you! Know what you are going to say and practice saying it. You will want to hit the major points: your education and experience.
6. Create a list of questions for them. What are skills do they prefer their employees to have? What is it like to work at their company? This is not just a chance for them to get to know you but for you to get to know them and weed out companies whose schedules or other standards may not be a great fit for you. For example, don’t want to travel on the job? This may be your chance to find out employees travel 90 percent of the time.

Job fairs are a great way to learn more about the employers in your area and make potentially valuable contacts for your job search. It can be tough putting yourself out there but attending a job fair will help you refine your interview skills and, hopefully, give your more resources for your job search.

Good luck!